Bergström Old Stones Chardonnay 2019
When John and Karen Bergström began Bergström Wines, they wanted to start a business that would become a legacy for their children and pay tribute to John’s agricultural Swedish upbringing. With these dreams in mind, the couple moved from Portland to Dundee, where they planted the Bergström Vineyard on a gentle, 13-acre, south-facing slope overlooking the wide expanses of the Willamette Valley. In 1999, Josh Bergström, the fourth of five children, returned home to Dundee from a postgraduate program in Viticulture and Enology in the Burgundy region of France. With him, he brought his fiancée Caroline, and the two were married that fall in the Bergström Vineyard. Bergström Wines was also born that year as the young couple harvested their first vintage of Pinot Noir from high-quality fruit purchased from a neighboring winery. Josh is currently our general manager and winemaker at Bergström Wines, and Caroline manages the sales team.
Our family business traces its roots to our father John Bergström’s Swedish heritage and the love he developed for the Pacific Northwest. John grew up in a small agricultural and logging village in northern Sweden. As a young teenager, he set out by himself for Oregon, eager to follow the American dream of creating a life better than the one he knew as a child. Ultimately, he became a surgeon, created a successful medical practice, and raised five children in his new homeland. After many years, John decided to return to those agricultural roots and pursue his dream of wine growing, eventually founding Bergström Wines. Today, John and Karen Bergström are proud parents who have helped establish a flourishing business and who enjoy traveling the world, sharing Bergström Wines and its vision with fellow wine enthusiasts.
Bergström Wines consists of five estate vineyards totaling 70 acres that span across three of the Willamette Valley’s best appellations: The Bergström Vineyard, Le Pré du Col Vineyard, La Spirale Vineyard, Silice, and Winery Block. Each estate vineyard is farmed without the use of harsh chemicals, systemic or fertilizers, and the winery produces approximately 10,000 cases of ultra-premium and extremely sought-after wine each year, including two Chardonnays, nine different Pinot Noirs, and three Syrahs.
White gold with a youthful green hue. Lovely stuff here with a great, reductive, mineral note of fresh struck flint, hazelnuts, spiced pastry cream, grilled citrus, toasted brioche, but primarily lives up to its name with a great, wet stone, mineral expression. Bright, vibrant, and electric on the palate with refreshing citrus, green apple and just-ripe pear notes. A long and succulent finish with a great core of pure fruit sweetness and an elegant structure.
Whole-cluster,”champagne-style,” gentle, and lengthy press
Fermentation: Native fermentation in 10-15% new French oak barriques and select large format vessels (oval foudres, puncheons, and demi-muids)
Malolactic: 100% malolactic and alcoholic fermentation (no residual sugars or malic acids)
Aging: 18 months élevage on lees
Filtration: Polishing filtration prior to bottling
| Vintage | 2019 |
| Varietal | Pinot Noir |
| Appellation | Ribbon Ridge |
| Vineyard | Le Pré du Col Vineyard |
| Alcohol | 13.13% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Country of Origin | UNITED STATES |
| Artificially Carbonated | No |
| Sparkling Wine | No |
The 2019 Chardonnay Old Stones has pretty golden apple fruit with wafts of pie crust, beeswax and flowers, while the palate offers layered savory fruits and linear acidity, which make for an expressive, energetic finish. - Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, 94 pts
A medium-to full-bodied white with aromas of apricots, lemon zest, cedar and praline. Some smoked almonds and flint, too. Bright and delicious with excellent concentration, balance and length. - James Suckling, 93 pts
This stylish chardonnay starts out fruity and lean, with flavors of juicy lemon and ripe apple. Its fruit-driven attack gives way to a grainy, nutty savor, from almond skin to smoke, that lends complexity and layering. - Wine & Spirits, 93 pts
Steely and precise, detailed, offering tart apple, lemon and river stone flavors that speed toward a vibrant ending. Drink now. - Wine Spectator, 92 pts
Always a fine value, the latest Old Stones puts an emphasis on fresh, juicy citrus fruits, a hint of pineapple, and a compelling wet stone minerality. There's good definition throughout, and the flavors cut a clean swath across the palate and down through a finish, hinting lightly at barrel toast. - Wine Enthusiast, 92 pts
Estate-sourced from Bergström, Winery Block, La Spirale, Silice, & Le Pré du Col Vineyards in Dundee Hills, Ribbon Ridge, and Chehalem Mountains AVAs. Chardonnay represents about 15% of total Bergström estate acreage.
Vine Age: 25 years
Soil: Balanced blend of marine sedimentary sand on sandstone bedrock/shales and red, volcanic soils on basalt
Exposure: Primarily south-facing at elevations between 375 & 500 feet
